The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1887-06-10
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE
EDITOR OF THE LEX
INGT0N ADVERTISER.
BY REV. ]. d. GAMBRELL.


Sir, the following allusion to me-
iustitieS this open letter:
''Of the young man we have nothing
uukind to say grievously did he err, aud
grievously has he suffered. How much
better would it have been had his friends,
as did those OF the other man, used their
best endeavors to persuade th misguided
young mau to cali halt, instead of fan
ming the fame which finally consumed
him. What terrible reflection it must
be to the father, who, we understand was
appealed to by friend of Col Hamil ilton,
asking him to intercede with his son and
cause him to desist, after the first article
appeared in the SioOrd and Shield! yet in
the very next number the attack was re-
] newed and kept up, showing that he
either had no influence with his son, or
that he approved his COURSE"
Permit me to say that you were
unfortunate III your company in
jackson, or they would hot have
mislead you as to questions of fact.
1t is not true that the editor of the
SlCOrd and Shield renewed the at.
tack after he was assured that Col.
Hamilton was out of the field as a
politicians. 1t had been induSll ious-
ly circulated by IA number of parties
that II. ID. Gambrel! bad fled the
city in fear of Hamilton be in his
next issue charactrized reports as
lies. | did not see this till after it
appeared in print, Hamilton's name
was only mentioned. ~
think YOU will agree with me,
that at such IA time the press should
be especially clrcumSpect in its ut
;erances; for great principle and
many hearts are involved. 1t is Il
pity you did not get your inforna-
tion from more reliable sources.
AS to myself, | trust you will have
the charity to believe that / have
acted as other mcu do, according to
my raising and the influences which
have moulded my life. | NAV he
permitted to say that am descend
ed from a plain ancestry Of farmers,
who never held Office, nor ever
sought it. My great grandfather
shed blood in the Revolutionary
war. | knew my grandfather, and,
all though he was a plain man, he
was respected as an honest man.
From him and my father | was
taught the simple leSsOus ot mauly
honesty. | remember well when
two OF us were leaving home 70 en-
ter the Confederate service, how he
laid his unstained strong hand upon
us, and said with Il voice chOked
with emotions, "MN sons, l give sou
to our country; let me hear always
that you have d0ue your duty"
These words of simple grandeur
frem my unaffected country father
burned in my soul through the
stormy years of war, and ha, lived
in my heart through tue years
since.
When | became father | did not
see how l could improve on my
ralSlng in this respect, so | taught
my son to speak The truth, to be |
honest, candid, To hold TO principle |
andaO never shirk duty. also
taught bim that truth aud courage
are Siamese twins, inSepera BILE in
the make up of character. AS his
character developed, | ielt parent
al pride in his intellectual powers;
hut my greatest comfort was in the
strength of his principles.
AS an editor these principles were
to be tried. He could take the
winding and zig-zap path OF person.
al interest, or the raighttorwarG
path OF right. Believe me sir, do
rejoice that he took the road he he
leved to be right. ! knew well his
purposes aud plaus. Many times |
cautioned bin to be sure he was
right, aud on that point he was
l an. free to say the
manner OF his expression was not
always approved, but it belonged to
I vigorous young man with an III
.enSe zeal for the right.
The things he wrote of Senator
Hamilton are matters of public rec
,rI aud knowledge. He believed
hat it was his duty to keep the
hiugs before the people, aud to
war necessarily on an alliance OF
If evils ia jackson, which have sti.
led every good thing. He knew
he facts, he bad taken on him the
ligh obligations of a journalist he
nut from him all questions of per.
onal gain and safety, and printed
lie facts as he had them.
Now, MIR. Editor, with the public
ecords as they are, did he do right !
o expose their corruption or not Z !
" hat wopld you do it yOu believed !
public official was Iryiag Ia pleH. a
ler your county treasury, aud 10 +
bis rule by banding the e
vOtst elemeHt of society around q
Iiml / leave you to answer. 0uly 4
aying, ii YOU held yoar peace, yon i
rOuld be unworthy the respect OF !,
aankiud 4
You venture to surmise what my /.
elections must be over the tragic =
udIng OF my sous vigorous life. n
Would yOa like to know I l will
III you what passed through my
ind, as 1 saw the mound raised il
yer his coffin. Realizing the On 2
Deakable siesolatiou of my home e
I'd the coHplpte disjoiuture OF my }
lans, aDd the weakness brauahf s
10 my life work, as. the lofal, p
rOug son lay there n death, ] ia